Damien Labrie-Girard is BIM Track (and BIM One’s) Human Resources Director, and he joined the company in March 2020... exactly one whole day before the first COVID-19 lockdown was announced in Canada. His very first day on the job was fraught with emotion from everyone in the office, given the sudden changes that the company – and indeed the world – was facing. But with a steady hand and a calm voice, Damien built a safe environment for the workers at BIM Track to allow them to thrive professionally during uncertain times.
“Empathy is key,” says Damien as he explains his approach to caring for personnel. “My work is all about building a positive onboarding process for new team members, advising everyone on career path opportunities, recognizing and helping those who show signs of stress, and ensuring that our workers feel fulfilled with every project they take on.”
The culture at BIM Track is one that favors a healthy mix of collaboration and autonomy, which is in no small part thanks to Damien’s guidance. “To us, collaboration means more than just fostering harmonious teamwork; it also means trusting the independence of our team members, so they can take ownership of their projects and be provided with help when they need it.”
This empathy-first praxis is important not only to how Damien works, but also how he enjoys hobbies in his off-time. “I play Dungeons & Dragons, both as a player and as a Dungeon Master (DM). As a DM I run a campaign with six players, none of whom had ever dabbled in this game before joining my table. Teaching them D&D has been very rewarding, because at first our sessions were very hack-and-slash so that the players could learn the rules (which can be encyclopedic), but now it’s grown into a high-stakes melodrama, and we can’t get enough!
“I love finding creative solutions to complex problems, and so do my players, who have ambitions they want to explore through their characters. It falls to me to build meaningful opportunities for them within the framework of the game, just as it falls to me to build an opportunity-rich environment at BIM Track.”
What is your name and job title?
Damien Labrie-Girard, Human Resources Director
What makes you want to stay at BIM Track?
I love the people! Everyone is different, but we also share goals, wins, and values, and that what's makes us so good at what we do.
Our meetings, our day-to-day interactions, and our social activities are engaging and fun. And most importantly of all, I feel that I have an impact on BIM Track's success, which is very satisfying.
How would you describe us as a culture?
At BIM Track it's simple: we have objectives, we have challenges, and we work TOGETHER to achieve them. And really, what’s more satisfying than overcoming a challenge in a spirit of open collaboration? Moreover, my colleagues happen to be awesome people; people I know I can trust to do their part of the work so that we can succeed together. They’ve got my back, and I’ve got theirs.
Before dedicating his career to human resources, Damien briefly considered pursuing work as a teacher or a lawyer. “I discounted both, because they did not tap into my core personal needs. As a teacher I would have loved imparting knowledge to the next generation, but would probably have grown bored with the routine. And as a lawyer, I would have loved to deep dive into the legal mechanisms for our society, but I would probably have felt disconnected from people,seeing them only as clients or plaintiffs.
“But working in human resources at BIM Track is everything I could want! It lets me guide others through the sometimes obscure regulations we must all work with, while also giving people every chance to triumph professionally.”